Intentions
by Jaybird9x
Summary: An unforgivable act. The road of good intentions is paved with sorrow. He learned this long ago. A decade of solitude, ten years of silence. But with a single shot, he had been found again. He tried to escape, but the darkness of his future was at his doorstep. And the shadows of his past were crashing down around him. Ancient Percy AU. One of my more intense stories. One shot.


One shot was all it took to change his entire existence.

A single shot at his leg brought an end to his secrecy and seclusion.

It brought an end to what little happiness and comfort he had. When the first bullet had buried its way through the flesh and sinew of his thigh and had glanced upon its bloodied color, he knew his future would be filled with even more hardship than before. The second and third shot didn't help his case, with one piercing his left shoulder, tearing through his thick parka, and the other forcing its way through his upper right arm, causing his hold on his gun to slacken ever so slightly. He stubbornly held onto it though, looking at the bullet on the ground, and calculating the trajectory of the silver round.

_When did that blasted Daughter of Zeus get behind me?_ He mentally swore at his carelessness. He had become too accustomed to knowing this land better than anyone, and it had left him vulnerable.

"Thou shall not coerce me to appear before thy serpent of a king!" He cried out hoarsely, his injuries taking longer than usual to heal. _Damn thy blasted godly metal!_ He bitterly cursed.

His attacker had yet to show themselves, but both of them knew that they sensed each other's presence long before the first shot.

He once again heard the sound of the bolt of a rifle being pulled back, a bullet shell being ejected, the minute _clink_ of a new shell being inserted, and the bolt being pushed forward once again.

"Do it! I would rather perish this very moment than become a foolish pawn for thy father, Huntress!" He snarled, whipping his head around and staring directly into the maiden's silver eyes, despite them being hidden behind the white balaclava covering her entire face.

Her typical frown that had always appeared when seeing men was present across her face, but her eyes told another story. Many say the eyes can be the gateway into one's emotions. They can tell an entire story when gazed into, and the Goddess had cursed her eyes for centuries before accepting her fate.

Within those eyes rested a soft kernel of sadness, nowhere near enough to make any difference in her actions, as she would rather punish this male herself than have her father do it. Especially after the personal affront to her abilities as the Goddess of the Hunt.

"Thou _shall_ accept thy defeat honorably and thou _shall_ accompany me to meet my father." She growls at the injured godling, her petite form finally emerging from one of the very few Willow trees that were native to the harsh climate of this snow-covered land. The weather in the Arctic has forced the goddess to bundle up for the first time in centuries. Being so far from America, where her powers were strongest, had forced her to cover her entire body in thick, mildly warming clothing.

As she trudged through the thick snow of the Arctic wastelands, the man took in her appearance. It was odd seeing the normally small goddess dressed up in a barely visible white jacket(as most of it was covered by the very thick white parka and matching ghillie suit). If he hadn't understood the severity of her presence, he would have laughed at seeing a sixteen year old girl trudge through the thick snow, her large snow-pants looking three sizes too big for her due to the thickness of the white material. While her entire body was covered, a small lock of auburn hair that he had once marveled over peeked through the hood of her parka.

He raised his head to glare at the Daughter of Zeus and repeated his words from before, leading to her eyes narrowing behind her goggles and her grip on the white, steel Beretta M9(which was still aiming at him)tightening.

"It seems thou are in no position to protest, _Perseus._" She forced his name through her teeth, her feelings towards the demigod long repressed after his actions towards her hunt. She began to close the distance to his bleeding form, her anger simmering under her skin.

"Though my _father_ hath stated I bring thou before him _unharmed_, the exhaustion that this wasteland hath brought upon me might possibly be the cause of a _temporary_ lapse of _memory_." Her tone darkened, the memory of him lashing out against one of her oldest huntresses, nearly killing the girl, whether accidental or not, coming to the front of her mind.

"Hatred burns through thy veins like molten lava, _Diana._ If _thou_ are not cautious, thine uncontrolled rage shall be _thy_ downfall." Perseus replied with a hint of sarcasm.

The red haze that had threatened to descend over her vision was shattered immediately at the demigod's warning. It seems that the man's humor had not faded entirely, nor had his heart frosted over completely.

She pulled the demigod to his feet and bound his arms and legs together. Diana closed her eyes and reached for her other conscious.

_So you have found him?_ Her Greek counterpart inquired, her dialect being more modern than her own.

_Indeed. _

_It has been quite some time since you have needed to borrow MY power. Are these lands too tough for you?_ Artemis remarked with clear distaste and anger towards her Roman form.

_Thou understands the laws of such a place as this. Insulting my skills and prowess as a Huntress is childish. Though that might explain thy obsession with being a 'teenager'._ Diana replies, earning a scoff from her counterpart. Artemis knew deep down that Diana's form would be better equipped for this mission, but the anger towards Diana, and the Roman pantheon itself, still burned in her veins. Nevertheless, the two forms merged their power together, amassing the energy required to flash to Olympus.

The demigod of Poseidon fell to his knees with nausea, having not experienced much godly power in almost a decade. His thirty year old body looking deceptively younger than it was, a testament to who his father was and how good said father looked.

The Sea God stared at Perseus with difficulty. Love, disappointment, and sadness raged behind the god's normally calm expression. Poseidon's son averted his gaze from his father, staring down at his bound hands. His wounds had yet to be tended to and the burning sensation that accompanied celestial bullets was as intense as it was six years ago.

"Perseus." Her father greeted him with a deceptively calm expression. He had changed in the past decade, his nephews actions having tempered his paranoia and impatience significantly. With the reappearance of a man who had dared brought harm to his daughter, she had expected him to be livid and steaming with anger.

Oh how she envied how fast her father had adapted and understood Jackson's antics. Six years ago, Perseus was brought before the King of the God's in almost the same exact manner as now. Her father had lost his temper back then, the result of Perseus's sarcastic and rude remarks, and blasted him with his bolt. Despite being heavily injured and free falling off of Mount Olympus, the will to live freely kept the demigod alive.

"Zeus." He replied with a venom that seemed so foreign to the once kind demigod. His emerald eyes burning with a fire that reminded her of the death of one of the greatest females she had ever seen. Her words remained in her memory even after almost six hundred years, the image of a white dove leaving her body after her death, the remorseful and horrified statements of her executioner and bailiff.**[bonus points if you know who this is off the top of your head.]**

"You already know why you have been brought before the council. Perseus Jackson, on the charges of assault with questionable intent, the disgracing of Olympus, abandoning your duties, and resisting judgement for nearly a decade, I hereby sentence you to seventy years of intense labor, where upon completion, you shall spend the rest of your life in a reinforced cell, far away from any source of light, water, or food. if you die during your labor portion of your sentence, you will carry out the remaining time in the Fields of Punishment. You will then be brought before the Judges Of The Underworld and given a fair trial." Zeus states in a firm tone. There was not a single emotion on his face and his volume was much softer than it was in millennia. He turns his gaze to his brother, meeting the Sea God's eyes before continuing.

"As traditions demands of us, upon your death, we will bury your body in a _marked_ grave in the Valley of Heroes. Your name shall _not_ be slandered in anyway shape or form. Any who do decide to slander, defame, or lessen your titles, accomplishments, worthiness, personality, or any other form of meaning in regards to you as a being, shall be given the same sentence. Your powers shall be locked, but not removed. You will remain the Son of Poseidon and your family will be under the protection of the Olympian Council until they are deemed safe from any repercussions that come with your existence. You will be given two substantial meals a day until the day you pass and you shall not be treated more harshly than others who are serving sentences of equal or greater severity."

Perseus, who had remained staring at her father, averted his gaze at the mentioning of his family. His mother still holding a soft spot in what warm parts of his frozen heart remained. Poseidon rose from his throne and approaches his only demigod son. With pain evident in his face, he pushes the butt end of his trident against his son's chest. A sea green glow began to radiate off of his trident as Perseus's powers were locked by the God of the Sea. Taking a long look at his son, which would most likely be the last one, he memorized the man's features, searing every scar, feature, and injury that made up his son's body.

Soon Perseus was removed from the throne room, his sentence starting with one of the newest Olympian projects. As the threat of the Titan's would never end, the Olympians has taken preemptive actions, starting with a new "security building" was being built upon Mount Othrys. A military compound would reduce the chances of another Titan War from rising as easily as before.

Artemis was still slightly shocked at her father's actions. Not only had he upheld the traditions of Athens, he had also been far more merciful than he had ever been. She didn't notice when the other gods left the meeting. She didn't notice how Poseidon and Zeus had a conversation that was actually expected of brothers. She also didn't notice when all that remained in the throne room were her father and her. The former's tired blue eyes resting on her troubled form.

After a few minutes, Artemis's thoughts were interrupted by a hand on her shoulder. Looking up at her father briefly, she turned her head away from his knowing gaze.

"Artemis. I may not be the best father. I may not be the best husband. But I am trying to change my ways. I now see what my brother saw in the importance of family." He pulled her into a hug and held her there for a few minutes. Even when he began to feel uncomfortable with her shuddering and crying against him, he couldn't help but smile slightly at his daughter.

She soon extracted herself from his embrace, sheepishly rubbing the stray tears from her eyes and trying to hide her embarrassment by frowning. He chuckled slightly, knowing all too well where she got that from.

"You may not want to hear this, but I do not think that Perseus did anything wrong ten years ago." He held up a hand when she went to argue in defense of her huntress. "Let me finish, Artemis."

She nodded her head and closed her mouth. Her lips were pursed and her face was troubled. He sighed deeply and rubbed a hand through his grey hair.

"The concept of hindsight is that of a bittersweet fruit. While it helps us grow by giving us the experience and sustenance to move on, it also shows us the errors of our ways. It shows us what we could have done, what actually happened, and what would be different if we acted in a different manner." Zeus said, looking to the doors that Perseus was carried out through with an unrecognizable expression.

"Immortality, however, makes the bitter part more prominent than the sweet. The millennia of existence that comes with being immortal causes us to contemplate the bitter aspect of hindsight far more than we should. Do you see what I am trying to say Artemis?"

She looks up at her father's face and follows his gaze towards the doorway. The pieces fall into place and she nods her head when he turns back towards her.

"I cannot let my actions with Perseus in the past affect my future actions. I must move forward and strive to be what I want to embody." She stated, her tears finally gone and her face softer than before. She seemed lighter than when she had entered the throne room, and Zeus smiled at her understanding. He ruffled her auburn hair, causing her to slap his hands away and mumble about 'insufferable men', chuckling as she stormed away, flustered beyond belief.

His mood flipped when she was out of sight, however, and he turned his head to the being behind his throne.

"I hope you know that I did not do this for you, nephew. You may have shown me the errors of my ways, but the harm you brought upon Thalia is something that cannot be forgiven so easily." He told the still shackled demigod. His body was no longer bloodied and his torn clothing had been replaced with black jeans and a white hoodie.

Perseus nodded his head in understanding and broke the chains on his arms and legs.

"Thy anger towards me is just, Lord Zeus. No matter the intent behind my actions, I still brought harm upon my friend and thy daughter. Nothing I can do will ever make up for what I did to my friend, but I will do all that I can to ease the suffering Thalia and Lady Artemis feel."

Zeus stares at the demigod with narrowed eyes. He takes in the exhausted green eyes of his nephew, haggard look on his face, and slumped shoulders that told the god that Perseus had been punishing himself over the past decade.

"Leave now, Perseus. Leave while the coast is still clear. From today forward, you are no longer under my rule. You shall not be allowed to return until you have proven yourself worthy. This is my way to repay you for all you have done for Olympus." Perseus nodded and left quickly after.

An hour later, Perseus had reached the northern US border in Maine. He looked back one more time at the still visible city of Olympus, knowing he would most likely never return here. With a deep sigh, he dived into the cold waters of the Atlantic and took off back towards the Arctic Circle, the new chapter of his life looking lonely already.


End file.
